Today in Kentucky, 68 people will be told, “You have cancer.”
The American Cancer Society is in your community to save lives and create more birthdays by helping people stay well, helping people get well by finding cures and by fighting back.
The American Cancer Society, Taylor Regional Hospital, community partners and its legion of dedicated volunteers are all working together with the ultimate goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

There is a lot to be proud of if you live in the Bluegrass State, especially this spring.

The University of Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team just won a national championship and the school’s women’s team played for a championship against a Connecticut team that has been a dominant force for the past 20 years.

Although they didn’t advance as far, Kentucky’s women’s team also reached the Elite 8, finishing the season as one of the top teams in the nation.

Brianna Brucker is charged with murdering her 3-month-old son, Charles Brett Hayden Jr. So why would she be released with out posting any bond?

Brucker, 20, and her husband, Dale Brucker, 26, the boy’s stepfather, have been charged with her son’s death. Brianna Brucker was held in jail on a $100,000 cash bond, which was reduced last week to $50,000, unsecured.

Dale Brucker has requested that his $125,000 bond be reduced, but that request has been denied.

Congratulations are in order for our local schools. Taylor County elementary and middle and Campbellsville middle schools won multiple awards last Friday at this year’s Kentucky Junior Beta Convention in Louisville.

TCES won first place in the Songfest competition, TCES fifth-grader Raegan Mardis won second place in the black and white photo category and fifth-grader Emma Sadler won third place in the color photo category.

For many victims of sexual assault, the physical attack is often just the beginning.

But during this General Assembly, our lawmakers have an opportunity to make the ordeal a little less complicated for those who become pregnant by their rapists.

Kentucky is one of 34 states where, because of a loophole in current law, women who become pregnant as a result of rape could face further harassment from their attackers when they sue for parental visitation rights to the child.

For too long, Kentuckians have been held back because of partisan bickering and political games when the legislature is in session. Hopefully, with new leadership, that will change.

We don’t believe there was much love lost between House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and former Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, and that applied to Williams and Gov. Steve Beshear as well. All were guilty of playing partisan games that, at the end of the day, only hurt Kentuckians.

There used to be a saying that if you were out of state and murdered someone, be sure to get rid of the body in Kentucky. Local law enforcement officials, with their limited resources, not to mention competency, would never solve it. Sure enough, over the years bodies were deposited in Kentucky and their killers were never found. In some cases, it took decades just to identify the victim.

They were piled high and deep, from tabletops to ceilings. Toys were everywhere.

From baby clothes to toy cars to makeup sets to brand new bicycles and movie tickets, many children in Taylor County have Christmas gifts today thanks to generous donations.

Toys for Kids and Toys for Tots officials said this year's effort to raise money to buy toys for children who might otherwise not have Christmas gifts generated about $35,000. With that money, toys were bought for about 500 children.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

State Auditor Adam Edelen made several questions very clear last week about Kentucky’s special taxing districts after his office spent six months developing a report on what it calls ghost governments.

Among them: What is a special taxing district? How many exist in Kentucky? Who oversees them?

How does the public get information about how they spend public money?